Smelting-furnace with electric refining-hearths connected thereto.



A. HELPENSTBIN. SMELTING FURNACE WITH'BLECTRIG REFINING HEARTHS CON APPLICATION :I'LBD MAR. a, 1911.

Patented J an 23, 1912.

NEGTED THERBTO.

1 mai mm V L BK 85 3.

UNITED S T ALO'IS HELFENSTVEIN, or. VIENNA. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

PATENT OFFICE.

summits-FURNACE wrrn ELECTRIC, BEFINING-HE'ARTHS CONNECTED THERJETO.

V To all wh'om it may concern: 5

Be it'known that -I, ALoIsHELrENsTEIN, citizen'of Switzerland, resident at 4 P ko'rnig'a'ss'e XIXL,'Vienna, Austria-Hungary,

. z 'ofiers great difficulties, especially if large lower part of the'furnace the packing, the f repairs of disturbances,"such" as the breakage of electrodes, "stoppages and the like 'oifer'particular difficulties, so that the prac- -l 1ave invented new and useful Improve-' ments in Smelting-Furnaces with Electric w Refining-Hearths Connected Thereto, of

which the foll'owingis a specification.

The present invention relates to a smelt:

ing furnace, cupola furnace or the like with thefurn'ace. This arrangement in practice forces have to be dealt with, z. 6., when large cross section'al areas of the electrodes a come into question, because the large forcesrequire above all an absolutely precise regu1 lation'of thev'electrodes, which is impossible,

with a. lateral introduction of same and can be only fulfilled up to now with vertically -sus'pended electrodes. Furthermore, ,when' introducing the electrodes laterally into the tical employment of, such furnaces is very questionable.- Finally with this arrangement" refining substances cannot be sepjarately introduced into the lowest part of the furnace at all, or at least only-in'a very free manner. Also the arrangement of vertical electrodes has been tried, insuc'h a manner that the blast furnace. shaft has been arranged as a preliminary shaft above an extended electric refining shaft or chamher. This arrangement, however, possesses the disadvanta e that from the preliminary shaft ore and s ag of the blast furnace pass into the electric heating chamber'so that no pure and exclusive refining-action .on..the iron can be carried throug Finally it is also known to carry out the electrical refining process wholly independently ofthe blast furnace, for instance by arranging sep-' arate electric furnaces in the neighborhood of the blast furnace, in such a manner that the iron from the. blast furnace ,is tappedinto the electric refining furnace from time to time. In this arrangement the electric furnaces are generally rotatable, in order to be able to pour off the refined product.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23.1912.

' Application filed March s, 1911. Serial No. 613,059.

These furnaces, or cupola furnacesit is true, work with a hot charge, but they do not make possible and do not intend to afford a continuous WOl'klIlg together of the blast furnace and the electric refining furnaces, in as far as the raw iron is admitted to the refining furnace only casually, and the latter has no working connection with the blast furnace. According to the present invention, however, around the smelting furnace refining chambers are arranged, the iron hearths of which stand in connection with the @hearths of the blast furnace by rigid closed off channelsjin such a manner that during the working of the blast furnace liquid metal from the same continuously flows into the refining furnaces, where it gradually? ri's'es upward and passes into the refining area of the vertical, working elec' trodes, from, whence the refined product -flows ofi' outwardly either continuously or is tapped off in certain intervals. Openings in the top wall of each refining chamber permit in a simple manner the introduction into the refining hearths of any desired additions continuously or interruptedly from timeto time. This arrangement, therefore, does not only give a continuous refining process of the raw iron in the blast furnace or cupola furnace itself, and an intimate working together 'of the two processes, While-keeping up the independent and clean, working of same, but it-affords at the vsame time a simple conductive electric connection ofgthe refining chambers with each other as the current is led from the metal .bath and through the channels to. the blast or cupola' furnace iron Q01 and from the latter into the other re ning chambers, 'sothat the'iron pool of th'e blast furnacehearth. forms the lower electrical connection of the refini'ngchambers with ea'ch other thus obv'lating separate-lower current supply connections.

In order to be atietfq'aeal with refinedmetal in a simple'manner, either in the form .of tappings or in the form of a continous outflow, and in order to give :to the whole system of the refining chambers in 'the zone of the molten iron a greater rigidity, fiat trays or troughs are arranged before the re- .fining chambers, which preferably reach up to the height of the tapping holes or overflow edges, and form with the refining chambers an undivided furnace whole. The reflows off as finished product from the ou fined metal flows when tapping or.with a continous outflow into these troughs, and fromthere to the point where it is worked. Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings show one form of constructing ablast furnace with two refiningchambers in a section and in plan view respectively; and-Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a cupola furnace.

The furnace hearth l is outwardly extended at two points 2, 2. In the extensions channels 5 with refining chambers 6 connected thereto, are arranged in such a manner that blast furnace A, connecting channels and refining chambers form an undivided furnace whole, The refining chambers are provided with outflow openings 7 in' the upper portions thereof. The refining chambers themselves have eXtended-hearths. These extensions outwardly reach up to the height of the outflow holes 7, where they form trays .or troughs 8, which serve the purpose ofbeing able to deal with the finished iron masses and at the same time as an outer support. These trays 8 can The raw iron in the furnace shaftflows from the hearth 10 through the channels 5 unint'erruptedly into the refining chambers 6, rises gradually and 'flows into the elec-.

tric heating zone, is there refinedthrough suitable additions and manipulations and flow 7 over the trays 8 to 'the' pointwh'ere it is employed The hanging working "electrodes-:9 of the difierent chambers are preferably of different polarity and the high furnace iron pool forms the lower-current conducting connection of the refining chamhers. I

The invention remains, of course, the same if 'the raw iron is produced by electric heating. other metal can be-pro'du'ced and treated in the furnace. I

I claim 1. A smelting or cupola. furnace, comprising a main shaft or furnace hearth, said shaft being provided with lateral exten- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for -five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Paton In the same manner also sions, .a closed refining chamber in each of said extensions, closed channels extending through said extensions, connecting said shaft and said refining chambers the arrangement being such that the mainshaft, connecting channels and refining chambers form an undivided furnace whole, an electrode arranged ineach refining'chamber atthe upperportion thereof, each of the said refining chambers being provided with outflow openings arranged at the upper portion thereof, the hearths of the refining chambers being. provided with extensions which outwardly reach-up to the height of the said outflow openings adapted to serve as trays for the reception of the metal passing through said openings and also adapted to serve as a rigid oute-r support for the metal zone of the furnace.

2. A smelting or cupolarfurnace, comprisirig a main shaftorfurnace hearth, said shaft being providediwith two lateral extensions oppositely disposed to. each other thereof,.each of the, said refining chambers .beingprovided with outflow openings arranged at the upper portion thereof, the

heartlis of the refining chambers being pro vided with extensions ,which outwardly "reachjup 'to the height of the said outflow openings adapted' to serve as a rigid outer support for the nietalzone of the furnace,

and a tray on the top of said last namedextensions arranged beside said outflow openings and adapted to serve for the reception. of the metal passing through said openings;

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ALOIS HELFENSTEIN. Witnesses :f

IGNAZ KUORFELMAGHER, Ancos'r FUGGER.

Washington, I). C." 

